While Chioggia is known for its canals, to the extent it is also known as “little Venice,” most of its canal footbridges are relatively simple.
However, where Vega Canal meets the sea a brilliant white structure, the Ponte Vigo, catches the eye. The current Vigo bridge is made of Istrian stone with marble balustrades and dates back to 1685. It is Chioggia’s answer to the Rialto Bridge in Venice.
The bridge was first built in 1379 during a war between the Venetian Republic and the Republic of Genoa. Originally it was made of wood and was later rebuilt in stone by the chief magistrate, Morosini.
There have been several modifications to the bridge over the years. In 1762, the symbols of the podestà of the time, Girolamo Arnaldi, were added along with four impressive statues of lions.
Four years later, under the orders of podestà Angelo Memmo, the bridge became the only one in the town that was included in the nighttime street lighting project. This included a large lantern, mounted on the balustrade facing the sea that serves as a lighthouse point for sailors in the lagoon.
